Static electricity discharging device



Sept' 13, 1949- w. J. DUCHESNEAU 2,481,913

STATIC ELECTRICITY DISCHARGING DEVICE Filed Sept. 14, 1946 la//LL/AM L/ DUCHESNEAU Patented Sept. 1?, 1949 'sTATICELECTRICITYr'SoHARGiNG VDEVICE Y 1 William J .fDuch'esneam Har-tfol'd,` Genn. 'Application 'september 14,l'1946,"`seia1Noisevoas vZCIaims.

"I1le pes'entnvention"relates -to'istati'c electricity dischargingV devices, and morefpar-ticulalyftolardevie adaptedftof-be positioned in a road to discharge or release accumulated static electricity fromthe frainefand/orbody of a vehiclef-passing thereover.

As is Well known, automobiles, trucks 4and-'other vehicles of the typewhicn are mounted on rubber tires,under"'certaintatmospherie'and ground conditions, tend to build.upfafsubstantial.charge of `f`staticirelectricity Withintheir bodies. fSuch '-cliarges offstaticelectricity areaparticularly'undcfl's'irabl'e when ,the vehicle ,subsequently becomes @rounded-through the body otpe'r-sons Tin contact 'fwith thetvehicle. This is parti'cular-ly notice- *able at' tolllhouses, forexampl'e, rwhere th'edriver of the vehicle, Whenvpassingfa Ycoin to the toll collector, gri'ITds'the'bdy f the' vehicle through himself and tliecol'lectorllresultingl -ina substanfti'alfsho'ckfto both Lpersoris.- w n '1 tis an'lobject off diei/presenteinventionrtoprovide a device which may be installedin theroad ahead of the toll house or other place where discharge of accumulated static electricity is desired for the purpose of grounding the vehicle and thereby releasing or discharging the static velectricity accumulated therein.

It is a further object of the invention to ac- .complish the foregoing object by means of a device which Will not be susceptible to breakage even When the wheel of a vehicle may pass directly thereover.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which can be readily assembled and disassembled and can be easily kept in a clean and efficient operating condition.

Othervobjects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplied in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional side view showing the device installed in a concrete road;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional end view of the device positioned in a concrete road; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional end view of the cover Ataken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the device constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a receptacle I which, in the specific em- Cl. 175L2,64)

vF2 gbodiment kshown, 'is Tfa metal'iboxslikevstructure land iis 5adapted to loe "Fset'into the #surface vof #a road, such as the concrete pavement II. In Ivth'e :preferredfembouimentv shown; =.the Iuipperiredge of :1:5 theireceptacle 'i Ifll `iis permitted "to "extend Y' slightly t"above ythe" surface'fof 'f the concrete /pavement f I. I Fixed `-'to the `'-btotto'm' off 'the *receptacle I'U Xis fan felectrical"conductingi 'stake for post 'I 2 extending rdownwardly"into cthe 'g`round :I3 thereby @effec- 12'10 tively grounding the yfrectpta'cl'e III. i Supported 1in :guideways *I |14, :adjacent yfthe if upper edge of the receptacle `IlI @and .positioned vlabout midway ici T'the1r`eceptacle,iisfiaemetallic v"spindle i t5 provided withfilanges I 6 spaced ffrom I5 v4fth'cfendsffthereof.

lReceivedfthrough fa' holei lflfin' the spindle I51is aliiexibl'e conductingrod 1 I8 rwhich 'is'fia'djustably fsecuredto the spir1`clle f5 by means of :th'eset rfscrew .19. The flower '.end cofN the Trod iIE5 l:has 1120 'mountedthereonia "weight 25 fwliich acts tjo bias ftlie'rodfintoariuipright-position.V

fn'cover f2 I, having tapreddges 22, is -pro- -vided tto :be ilplac'ed 1. overa the freceptacie :1| 0. In the preferred embodiment, the cover 2| has a `groove 23 extending therearound to receive the \`upper edge of the receptacle I 0, thus acting to "'seal the receptacle at the edges against dirt and moisture.

Extending centrally from the midpoint of the cover 2l in the direction of passage of a vehicle is a slot 24 in which the rod I8 may move during normal pivoting movement. In the event that a car wheel should pass directly over the rod I8, there is provided a groove 25 extending outwardly from the slot 24 adapted to receive the end of the rod I8 and to position it substantially flush with the cover 2| thereby preventing breakage of the rod.

Inasmuch as some dirt and water can enter the device through the slot 24, there is provided a removable pan 26 which is set into the receptacle I0 so as to encompass the slot 24 as Well as flanges IB on the spindle I5. It has been observed that Water deposited on the spindle I5 will drop off at the flanges I6 and will not be carried to the extremities of the spindle, whereby the water does not reach the inner surfaces of the receptacle I 0. In order to remove the pan 26 for periodic cleaning of the device, it is necessary only to remove the cover 2| and to lift out the spindle I5 whereupon the pan 26 may be readily withdrawn.

Inasmuch as it may not be desired to utilize the device during certain winter months when static electricity accumulations in motor vehicles do not present much of a problem, the device can bc readily conditioned for non-use by removing the cover 2| and the rod I8 (also the spindle I5, if desired) and substituting a cover similar to the cover 2| except that it is imperiorate, The device is thus protected against the accumulation of dirt and moisture and Will require no further attention until it is again desired to place the device in operating condition;

In light of the above disclosure, it will be seen that, in accordance With the present invention, there is provided a static electricity discharging or releasing device which will have little tendency to break even over long periods of usage. In general, the vehicle passing over the device merely pivots the rod I8 on the spindle I5 without materially flexing the same and, even though the Wheel of the vehicle should pass directly over the rod, there still will be only a moderate flexingl of the rod Without the occurrence of any breakage. The device is effective in operation and in no Way interferes with the normal usage of the road.

In View of the specific description given above of a preferred embodiment of the invention, it Will be possible for one skilled in the art to make various modifications and variations in the construction of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such variations and modications are intended to be included Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for discharging static electricit from Vehicles comprising a metal receptacle for placement in the surface of a road, an electrically conducting, horizontal spindle, electrically conducting bearing means adjacent the top of the receptacle rotatably supporting the ends ofV the spindle therein and electrically interconnecting the spindle and receptacle, a flexible electrically conducting rod adjustably fixed on the spindle in angular relation thereto and rotatable therewith, means biasing the rod into upright position,

and a cover extending over the receptacle and covering said bearing means and having a centrally located slot through which the rod extends, permitting pivoting movement of the rod with the spindle.

2. A device for discharging static electricity from vehicles comprising a metal receptacle for placement in the surface of a road, a removable pan positioned in the bottom of the receptacle, an electrically conducting, horizontal spindle, electrically conducting U-shaped bearings adjacent the top of the receptacle rotatably supporting the ends of the spindle therein and electrically interconnecting the spindle and receptacle, a ilexible electrically conducting rod fixed to the spindle in angular relation thereto and rotatable therewith, means biasing the rod into upright position, and a cover extending over the receptacle and covering said bearing means and having a centrally located slot through which the rod extends for permitting pivoting movement of the rod with the spindle.

WILLIAM J. DUCHESNEAU. V

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,120,984 Thompson Dec. l5, 1914 1,518,616 Varnell Dec. 9, 1924 1,527,107 Allen Feb. 17, 1925 1,872,298 Kehoe Aug. 16, 1932 2,318,340 Thacher May 4, 1943 2,427,460 Johnson Sept. 16, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES The Washington Post: Sunday, August 20, 1939; an article by John J. ONeill: Cars static electricity shocks explained by Brooklyn professor, who made test. 

